Media Room: Media Releases

BLACK HAWK 221 BOARD OF INQUIRY

RELEASE OF PERSONAL STATEMENTS BY MRS MELISSA BINGLEY AND MRS CARINNA PORTER

The President of the Black Hawk 221 Board of Inquiry, The Hon. David Levine, has decided that it would be appropriate to release formal statements made to the Board by Mrs Melissa Bingley and Mrs Carinna Porter, the widows of two ADF members who died in the Black Hawk crash near Fiji on 29 November 2007, Captain Mark Bingley and Trooper Joshua Porter.

The statements by Mrs Melissa Bingley and Mrs Carinna Porter were submitted into evidence during the inquiry.

STATEMENT BY THE BINGLEY FAMILY

The family of Mark Bingley supports wholeheartedly the statement made by Mark’s widow, Melissa, which was submitted to the Black Hawk 221 Board of Inquiry.

Melissa’s statement now forms part of the official record of the Inquiry. As such, it is not the intention of the family to make any further public comment.

The family reserves its right to comment on the findings of the Board of Inquiry once it has been submitted to the Chief of Defence Force and subsequently released.

While the conduct of the Board of Inquiry has been thorough, it has been a stressful and sometimes difficult time for Melissa and the whole Bingley family. As such it would be appreciated that now the Inquiry hearings have concluded, that members of the media afford us our privacy.

STATEMENT BY THE PORTER FAMILY

The family of Joshua Porter supports wholeheartedly the statement made by Joshua’s widow, Carinna and her family, which was submitted to the Black Hawk 221 Board of Inquiry.

Carinna’s statement now forms part of the official record of the Inquiry. As such, it is not the intention of the family to make any further public comment.

The family reserves its right to comment on the findings of the Board of Inquiry once it has been submitted to the Chief of Defence Force and subsequently released.

While the conduct of the Board of Inquiry has been thorough, it has been a stressful and sometimes difficult time for Carinna, the Mahony family and the Porter family. As such it would be appreciated that now the Inquiry hearings have concluded, that members of the media afford us our privacy.

The statements, as submitted, can be viewed at: http://www.defence.gov.au/boi/blackhawk221/transcripts.htm

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